Dr. Grimes’ Bottom Line

The COVID Conundrum…Did YOU Have It, or Not?

Covid Conundrum. Did you have COVID or not?

The COVID Conundrum: If you had classic symptoms of COVID- high fever, chills, fatigue, muscle aches, cough, shortness of breath, new loss of smell or taste, GI symptoms- but a negative test, no test, or negative antibodies, did you REALLY have COVID?

And, well,…does it matter?

After dealing with this question both professionally (I focus on college health) and personally (read about our family’s experience with COVID), here are my thoughts:

First: Yes, you can have COVID without testing positive (but also, maybe not).

  1. As with many diagnoses in medicine (like flu and strep), your doctor’s clinical judgement
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Our COVID Conundrum…Did We Have It or Not?

Setting: Beautiful small town, high up in the Colorado mountains, where we’ve been very much isolated and socially distanced in our home for several weeks…except that ONE day, six days earlier, when our older daughter and I had our “big outing”. After dropping off my husband at the small town airport, we made a quick Target run, ate lunch outside of a restaurant in another small town (sitting at an isolated table), and in the process, used two public restrooms, including the highly trafficked one at the airport. We wore cloth masks the whole time except while eating, and sanitized … Read more

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Five Tips to Fight ZOOM Fatigue, Neck Pain & Brain Drain

Know anyone zooming to classes for hours on end (like a college student, friend or family member complaining about Zoom Fatigue?) Please share these easy five tips!

ZOOM FATIGUE is for real, not an “in your head” kind of thing. As opposed to in person classes or meetings, your attention (or at least the appearance of your attention) is NONSTOP, making you much more mentally drained than “real life.” So what can you do?

1. Step number one, stop looking at yourself! No joke, we are unconsciously drawn to our own face, so your brain keeps trying to … Read more

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The COVID Grab Bag- What to Pack!

Last month, while doing a podcast with the AMAZING Your Empty Nest Coach, Christine, she asked what I thought belonged in a COVID “Go” Bag- like the bag you have ready to grab when you are extremely pregnant and ready for the hospital. While most of the items are common sense, having a checklist will help you be sure you have everything you need before you head off to quarantine (or to the hospital.)  I love that Christine created this printable check list with everything we discussed!

Let me HIGHLIGHT a few items:

Health Insurance Card– your student should … Read more

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The Best 2020 College First Aid Kit

Ten years ago, I blended my craft-loving, Girl Scout leader “always be prepared” skills with my family medicine physician experience to create a practical high school graduation gift- a college first aid kit. That first kit had basic  essentials for cuts and colds, a thermometer, an ACE wrap, and a few assorted remedies for seasonal allergies, migraines, and heartburn.  I stuck a little index card inside that had a few tips about when to use what (like Tylenol vs Advil). Each year, I added more items and instructions, as our friends’ kids began using these kits and texting me for … Read more

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Worried about Sending Your Kid to College During COVID?

SendingKidsBackToCollegeDuringCovid

Anxious about sending your child off to college in the midst of a pandemic? You’re not alone! Whether this is your first (or only) kid to fly the nest, or perhaps your very last “baby” leaving,  COVID19 concerns may be lurking in your brain or keeping you up at night. If so, read on, because I’m sharing my answers to a bunch of parent questions and concerns brought to me by Suzy Mighell, creator and founder of the popular blog and lifestyle brand EmptyNestBlessed.

 

  • Should I be worried about COVID and sending my child back to a college campus
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Top 5 Forgotten College Items- Are They On Your List?

As our quarantine days blend together and suddenly slip by, you’re making a list and checking it twice…because especially if this is your FIRST kid heading off to college, you want to be sure you’ve included every critical item. The running monolog in your head continues…

  • Twin XL (Extra Long) Sheets? Ordered on line…Check.
  • Command Strips in every shape, size and strength? Check. (Much bigger deal for girls vs. guys, but this is the only way to hang stuff on walls.)
  • Dorm Bed Risers? (I highly recommend the ones with extra outlets.) Check.
  • Chargers, fan, laundry bag,
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Graduation Homework: Six Summer Assignments to Make You REALLY Ready for College

Graduations certainly look different this year, and many question marks remain for the fall. How will be dorms function? Will there be football? Large lecture halls? Schools know few specifics, and we definitely can’t control it. Since this uncertainty breeds frustration, let’s talk about what we CAN control. Start with readjusting the focus away from the missed proms, shows, banquets and ceremonies- not to minimize those losses, but to shift the view and push the momentum forward. Begin actively preparing for and engaging with your new school and community with these six summer assignments:

  1. Make a list of AT LEAST
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Confused About COVID19 Masks? Let’s Talk

Long before the CDC officially recommended wearing cloth face coverings, people were buzzing about masks. “N95” and “PPE” (personal protective equipment) were two of the first words in our new Corona vocabulary, and by now everyone knows these precious masks are in very short supply.

Meanwhile, the medical community keeps repeating that wearing masks helps prevent sick people from spreading their germs to others, but these masks won’t protect healthy people from catching the exact same germs. Anyone else confused by this? Isn’t it the same mask on a healthy or a sick person? Why would any mask block germs … Read more

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5 Tips for Student Survival & SUCCESS During COVID Quarantine

Online classes have begun, and the learning curve is steep for students, teachers and families as we ALL adjust to our re-nested COVID lifestyle.

PARENTS: Being a student should STILL be your kid’s number one priority. Yes, this is a pandemic, and each family has different needs, but globally we need to adapt to living a bit in tandem with our young adult children, respecting their typically shifted, later sleep/wake cycles and understanding that our family meal times may conflict with their classes, study groups or virtual hangouts. Time zone changes from out-of-state schools double this challenge.

 STUDENTS: Be … Read more

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